AO3 - Statistical Infrequency

• Statistical infrequency does not tell us the difference between desirable behaviour that is not statistically infrequent and the undesirable behaviour that is statistically frequent.
• An IQ of 140 would fall outside the ‘normal’ band, but we would not say that someone with a high IQ is abnormal or mentally ill.
• Some behaviours that are experienced by most people e.g. anxiety, are seen as abnormal depending on the severity.
• There are individual differences to consider when using the statistical infrequency definition.
• Statistical infrequency definition is objective when compared to others as it used statistical data (quantitative) which is thought to be reliable.
• It looks at the whole picture, taking all the population into account so can give a useful insight into the whole picture of a particular characteristic.
• There is a degree of inflexibility with the statistical infrequency definition.
• There is no consideration of cultural differences in this definition.
• Infrequent behaviour is not always negative.
• In some cases finding infrequent behaviour is useful. If a child is screened for dyslexia, they can receive help quicker.